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Google’s Apps Marketplace, its directory of cloud apps that integrate with Google Apps, now features over 750 services. Today, at its Global Partner Summit, Google is expanding this program by creating a formal Technology Track in its...Show More Summary
Windows Phone 8 fans got a pleasant surprise when social GPS app Waze arrived on the Marketplace after Google snapped it up. That's why it's such a shame that it caused massive battery drain issues for some users. After months of people airing...
Themer, the Android customization app from MyColorScreen which last fall raised a half a million in seed funding, has been pulled from the Google Play marketplace following a copyright complaint from Apple in reference to one of the app’s 200-plus available themes. Show More Summary
Over the past two years, Asia has emerged as the world's top marketplace for apps--and it's still growing. Revenue in Asia rose by a massive 162% in 2013, "annihilating" growth in all other continents, according to a new report by Distimo. Furthermore, that increase was fueled in large part by Google Play, where revenue from Asia more than quadrupled in 2013.
Messaging app Line began the limited rollout of its new C2C e-commerce platform Line Mall today (link to TechCrunch Japan via Google Translate). The app, which is now available for download in Japan's Google Play store, is a sign that...Show More Summary
Circa managed to charm the keepers of both Apple's and Google's app marketplaces. In addition to releasing some stats about its best-selling apps of 2013, Apple is shining a spotlight on a few apps that stood out from the pack this year--and it chose Circa as one of the best apps in the news category. Show More Summary
Google is trying to make it easier for Apps customers to find and deploy third-party applications from the Marketplace store it launched a few years ago. The company has started to surface some of those third-party applications on the...Show More Summary
Installing apps for Google Apps For Business via the marketplace has never been especially difficult, but now you have a second option. Google is adding apps to the Admin console as well. More »
Google is currently adding some 5,000 businesses daily as users of its Google Apps platform. But it wants to have more, and to help do that, today it is launching an updated Apps Marketplace -- the first really big update to the service that offers enhanced services on top of Google Apps since it was first launched in 2010. Show More Summary
Back in July, a Google Glass software update inadvertently spilled the beans on a forthcoming app store optimized for the device, and now it looks like it's official. According to The New York Times, a Glass-optimized app marketplace is set to debut sometime in 2014, and a Google rep confirmed as much with Marketing Land earlier today. Show More Summary
Twitter is the latest startup to launch a beta testing program on Android, via the Google Play app marketplace. The company has begun taking sign-ups for its "Twitter for Android Experiment Program," which will allow users to register to test the latest, unreleased builds of Twitter's Android application.
Well, Windows Phone fans, you are almost home. Today Microsoft's YouTube application for Windows Phone will return to the platform's marketplace. At last, Google and Microsoft appear to have worked out a compromise that will allow for a fully featured YouTube experience on the latter's mobile platform. Show More Summary
Google Play has made up a lot of ground on the App Store over the past couple months in terms of downloads and revenue, but the latest mobile marketplace report shows that Apple is still king of the castle when it comes to revenue. According to app analytics firm Distimo, the App Store was still [...]Show More Summary
Google's Android app marketplace, Google Play, has seen significant revenue growth this year, fueled in large part by Japan and South Korea. In a new report released today by app store analytics firm Distimo, the company found that Google...Show More Summary
Amazon launched its Appstore way back in 2011, offering an alternative to Google Play’s native Android app marketplace. Now, the Internet giant is spreading its proverbial wings by accepting HTML5... Keep reading ?
Google’s app marketplace takes a shot across Apple’s bow, Tim Cook talks turkey—and iPhones—with China’s largest carrier, and a little dose of nostalgia for Siskel and Ebert fans. The remainders for Wednesday, July 31, 2013 will seeShow More Summary
China is the world's largest smartphone market, but data about app downloads is difficult to get because Google Play is inaccessible there. The Chinese app ecosystem, which will be worth $1.2 billion this year according to one estimate, is very fragmented, with more than 200 app stores competing for consumers. Show More Summary
June 13, 2013 Prepare to see reading apps improve like never before. There’s no shortage of feed-reading solutions either underway or already on the marketplace. Each has its devotees, but last-minute Google Reader refugees will be looking for a long-familiar blend of cross-platform support, ease-of-use and simplicity. Show More Summary
The stock 'Nexus' keyboard app, complete with gesture typing, is now available to all Android users through the Google Play Store Google continues the movement of its core Android apps onto the Google Play app marketplace with today's standalone launch of Google Keyboard. Show More Summary
Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL) and Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) are two companies who have tended to have different policies on apps in their respective marketplaces. Google, which has always advocated a free and open Internet, seems to have higher thresholds for finding certain apps too inappropriate for public use and consumption. However, Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL) has developed [...]


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ARC 100 SATA III series features Toshiba A19 nm NAND, prices start at $75 for 120 GB
Toshiba-owned OCZ announced the release of a new series of 2.5-inch solid state drives (SSD) called the ARC 100. With the new ARC series drives, OCZ is offering solid state performance at entry-level pricing to spur consumer adoption. OCZ is selling the SATA III drives in three sizes, featuring Toshiba NAND, a three-year warranty and prices starting as low as $75.
Corsair announces world's first 1500 watt titanium certified power supply
Memory manufacturer Corsair recently announced the world's first 1500-watt, 80-plus titanium-certified power supply with the AX1500i digital ATX. The new PSU makes use of the second generation of Corsair's digital architecture, allowing it to operate at 94 percent efficiency at a 50 percent load of 115 volts. At loads up to 450 watts, the power supply will also operate at a zero RPN fan mode that is "truly silent" according to the company.
All OCZ Technology warranties not covered by Toshiba subsidiary
After Toshiba's acquisition of the assets of troubled SSD manufacturer OCZ Technology, it was believed that the business would continue on as it was prior to bankruptcy filings for the purpose of everyday operations. In one important aspect, however -- warranties -- the company will alter because of the terms of the bankruptcy proceedings. The new Toshiba subsidiary OCZ Storage Solutions is cutting warranty service on many older OCZ drives.
Toshiba owed the most money by defunct company, terms of deal not revealed
Toshiba has completed the process to purchase the assets of PC hardware developer OCZ. The SSD maker declared bankruptcy in the beginning of December, with Toshiba having announced its intention to purchase the troubled manufacturer nearly simultaneously. Terms of the deal were not announced.
Deal conditional on regulatory approvals, bankruptcy court rulings
Financially troubled SSD manufacturer OCZ Technology Group today announced that the company has signed an asset purchase agreement with Toshiba Corporation to acquire substantially all of OCZ's assets in a Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceeding for $35 million, subject to customary regulatory approval. The move comes only a few days after OCZ revealed that bankruptcy was imminent and its assets had been seized by debtors. The offer has already been approved by both Toshiba's and OCZ's board of directors.
Company has failed to repay 15 percent interest loan to financial group
Solid state drive manufacturer OCZ Technlogy is filing for bankruptcy, with Hercules Technology Growth Capital having taken control of its accounts at Silicon Valley Bank and Wells Fargo. The company has received an offer from Toshiba to buy its assets and intellectual properties in a bankruptcy proceeding.
OCZ Vector SSD promises longer life, faster data transfers
Provider of high-performance solid-state drives (SSDs) for computing devices and systems, OCZ Technology Group, today announced the availability of the new SATA III-based Vector SSD Series featuring the company’s next-generation Indilinx Barefoot 3 controller. OCZ’s worldwide technology hardware and firmware teams developed the new controller silicon and firmware completely in-house to enable full design control over the Vector SSD Series roadmap.
No reason given for departure, poor financial results suspected
SSD manufacturer OCZ Technology Group has accepted the resignation of Chief Executive Officer and founder Ryan Petersen. Filling in is Chief Marketing Officer Alex Mei. Mei will do double-duty at the company, retaining his current duties as marketing head and executive vice president until a permanent replacement is found. No reason for the executive's departure has been offered.
Industry-wide shortage could be iDevice driven
[Updated with correction] The CEO of OCZ Technology Group, a solid state drive manufacturer, announced last week that the company would not be able to produce enough of its products to meet industry demand. As EE Times reports, the shortage in NAND components -- the chips that allow for smartphones and mobile devices to have high-density, low-power internal memory -- is said to be industry-wide and an outgrowth of the increasing demand for NAND supplies. The company believes that the supply situation will resolve itself, but it is moving to reorganize its production processes to account for supply considerations.
Price drops aimed at forcing out small players
Solid state drives, a critical component in many thin, high storage-density mobile devices, could see dramatic price drops in the coming months due to a burgeoning price war among the major SSD suppliers. According to DigiTimes, industry sourcesin Taiwan are indicating that large suppliers are preparing to drop prices on SSDs precipitously.
OCZ Vertex 4 gets Indilinx Everest 2 controller
Flash memory maker OCZ has unveiled the Vertex 4 SATA III SSD as its fastest to date. The 2.5-inch drive reaches sequential speeds of up to 535MBps through an Indilinx Everest 2 controller that reportedly helps it outperform predecessors by a factor of four. It's also much more durable, with cycle erase specs that are outside of the measurable range, according to the creator.
OCZ intros MLC-undercutting SSDs with TLC NAND
Storage media maker OCZ showed off a first in the commercial storage drive space with a teaser of its upcoming three-bit-per-cell (TLC) NAND drive. The technology improves the density per cell by 50 percent and should apply equally to home and pro buyers. The company is keen to do so as TLC NAND is significantly cheaper to produce compared to MLC NAND, with OCZ's numbers showing off a reduction of as much as 30 percent.
Hybrid storage hits $499 price point
OCZ has introduced its latest storage system, the RevoDrive Hybrid, which pairs an solid-state drive with a standard disk drive. The hybrid storage is geared for desktop computers, build upon a PCI Express card rather than utilizing typical drive connectors. Operating system files and applications can be stored on the 100GB SSD for faster speeds, while the HDD provides an additional 1TB of capacity for other content.
Combines controller with Toshiba for next gen SSD
Sandforce has used the Flash Memory Summit, currently taking place in Santa Clara, to show off its SSD controller working with 24 nanometer multi-level cell (MLC) NAND flash technology that will be used in SSD drives. For the demonstration, the company has combined its SSD-2000 controller with Toshiba's newest NAND flash to create what it sees as a a next generation storage solution.
Controller can be used for SSDs up to 1 Terabit
OCZ has unveiled a SATA III controller that can be used to build solid-state drives with up to 1TB of storage capacity. Taking advantage of OCZ's buyout of Indilinx, the Everest SATA 3.0 SSD platform incorporates a 6Gbps host interface and a dual-core controlling processor. OCZ claimed that the architecture will enable a boot time 50 percent quicker than possible with existing SSDs.
60GB - 240GB SSDs target value seekers
OCZ has announced two new series of SATA III 2.5-inch solid state drives targeting price and value conscious customers. The Agility 3 comes in three models from 60GB to 240GB. The Solid 3 is available in 60GB or 120GB versions. Both series incorporate SandForce's SF-2200 SSD processor to drive up the speed. The Agility 3 delivers up to 525MB per second reads and 500MB per second writes while the value-oriented Solid 3 still manages 500MB per second reads and 450MB per second writes.
Deal said to be worth $32 million
OCZ Technology has announced that it is set to acquire Indilinx, a South Korea-based company that specializes in SSD controllers. Indilinx controllers have been present in some of OCZ's SSD lineup since late in 2008, including the Z-Drive series of PCIe-based drives. OCZ suggests the buyout will help the company expand its reach into the embedded, hybrid storage and industrial markets.
Mac OS X Lion shows TRIM support for SSDs
A finding in the developer preview of Mac OS X Lion has confirmed that the OS will have much needed support for auto-tuning solid-state drives. System Profiler now automatically detects SSDs with the TRIM command, and the OS now presumably uses the technique to clean up the drive. The MacGeneration investigation found that Apple's Toshiba-sourced SSD for the MacBook Air was already recognized, but third-party drives weren't yet enabled.
100GB to 400GB variants
OCZ Technology has introduced two new Vertex-series SSDs claimed to take advantage of 6Gb/s transfer speeds supported by SATA III interfaces. Performance is said to be doubled from the previous generation, with a new SandForce processor that reaches 550MB/s read transfer rates, 500MB/s write rates, and up to 60,000 IOPS.
OCZ to quit making RAM at end of February
Memory and solid state drive maker OCZ this week announced it would no longer produce RAM modules after February, the end of its current fiscal year. Instead, the outfit will focus on its remaining solid state drive business. The decision was made after the company's memory revenue dropped by 71 percent, from $22 million to $6.2 million.
MacBook Air SSD faster than Sony VAIO Z in testing
A new showdown (video below) between the 11-inch MacBook Air and the Sony VAIO Z has landed an unusual victory for Apple. Despite the Z having dual SSDs in a RAID stripe and theoretically outperforming the single SSD of its rival, it took almost three times longer to start in the Laptop test, launching from a cold boot in about 40 seconds where the Mac took just 15 for the same task. Wake from hibernation was also about twice as slow on the Sony system at five to six seconds where the Mac can take just two to three.
SandForce SF-2000 controller to support 500MBps
SandForce will show off its new SF-2000 range of SSD processors at the Storage Networking World Exhibition next week. Meant for enterprise and other heavy-duty tasks, they sport a 6Gbps SATA interface and the industry's first sustained, sequential read and write performance of 500MB per second; most drives reach half this figure. The controller also has a unique 60,000 sustained random read/write IOPS rating.
OCZ intros 20Gbps HSDL interface for SSDs
Computer storage maker OCZ on Wednesday said it has developed a High-Speed Data Link (HSDL) interface to help speed up the transfer speeds of SSD drives. With the bus technology, OCZ hopes to eliminate I/O bottlenecks and enhance high-performance computing for its pro users.
OCZ shows mainstream Onyx 2 solid state drives
Storage products maker OCZ has showed off its latest solid state drive, the Onyx 2 Series. The 2.5-inch SSDs are said to be priced lower than competing products but still sport SandForce controllers. Their maximum read speeds are rated at 270MBps, while write speeds peak at 265MBps.
OCZ Onyx and Vertex 2 reach 1.8-inch size
OCZ finished its week with its first 1.8-inch solid-state drives. Together, the Onyx and Vertex 2 are built for upgrading ultraportables, netbooks and other computers that could use extra speed but won't fit a 2.5-inch SSD. Both attach through SATA or SATA II and often preserve the same performance as their earlier, bigger siblings.
OCZ boosts fast SSDs to 480GB
OCZ gave a rare treat to performance users today with upgrades to the capacities of both the Agility 2 and Vertex 2. Either now has options for 480GB of usable space; both go beyond the 400GB ceiling for most of OCZ's SSD line. Either is now considered large enough that it can be used as a full system drive rather than just a boot drive.
OCZ shows Enyo external SSDs with USB 3.0
Memory and storage media maker OCZ has revealed its latest external drive, the Enyo Portable SSD, with the new high-speed USB 3.0 interface. The device is deliberately much sleeker than the usual external drive and matches this with the faster USB 3.0 interface, which is rated at 5Gbps. The Enyo Portable SSD can reach up to 260MBps read speeds and 200MBps write speeds, according to OCZ.
OCZ updates 1TB Colossus LT SSDs
OCZ has refreshed its Colossus desktop SSDs with the new Colossus LT 3.5-inch SSD range, which includes 120GB, 250GB, 500GB and 1TB capacities. The MLC NAND flash is meant for desktop users who want to reap the benefits of the faster performance, quiet operation and durability inherent in SSD drives coupled to capacities that more readily mirror traditional hard drives.
OCZ nears 300MB per second with Vertex 2
OCZ today added two extremely high-performance SSDs to its mix that set relative records. Both the Agility 2 and Vertex 2 use a new controller that is not only faster in absolute terms but consistently faster in both directions. Either can peak at 285MB per second in read speeds, but they can also write at up to 275MB per second.
32GB capacity to be available at launch
OCZ Technology on Wednesday introduced the Onyx SATA II 2.5-inch solid-state drive (SSD) series of storage components with a focus on low cost. The multi-level cell (MLC)-based SSDs feature 64MB of integrated cache and data transfer speeds of up to 125MB/s while reading, and up to 70MB/s during write operations.
OCZ Vertex LE fastest in reads and writes
OCZ this morning launched an update to its Vertex line as fastest ever drive to use dense multi-level cell (MLC) memory. The Vertex Limited Edition uses a yet-again upgraded controller with read speeds as high as 270MB per second and much faster writes than usual at 250MB per second. Its speed potentially makes it the best option for those who need the fastest possible single drive.
OCZ Colossus arrives with smaller options
OCZ today formally launched the Colossus, its first solid-state drive line aimed primarily at the desktop. The 3.5-inch SATA II disks are designed both to fit directly into desktops without a mounting kit but also to provide performance above even some notebook SSDs. OCZ has raised its speed claims beyond early estimates and now says that the fastest Colossus drives reach peak read and write speeds of 260MB per second and sustained write speeds of 220MB per second.
OCZ Agility EX SSDs
OCZ has recently announced the upcoming release of its 2.5-inch Agility EX series of solid state drives, which it touts as the most affordable single-level cell (SLC) solid-state drive on the market. SLC flash drives are usually more expensive than denser multi-level cell (MLC) drives, but also outperform them in terms of speed their long-term lifespans.
OCZ intros Zee USB drive
Notebook, RAM and flash memory maker OCZ recently introduced its Zee USB 2.0 flash drive. OCZ, which makes solid state drive upgrade kits for notebook PCs, hasn't offered a simple USB thumb drive before. The drives are minimalist in their design, and OCZ is likewise being modest and isn't releasing their peformance specs, though does say the drives are capable of mainstream speeds.
OCZ Solid 2 SSD announced
OCZ has released its OCZ Solid 2 SATA II 2.5” Solid State Drive, using MLC-based NAND flash memory for a balance between performance and price. While MLC memory is slightly slower than SLC memory, the new drives deliver 100MB/sec write (120GB model) and 125MB/sec read speeds and a seek time of less than 0.1ms using the less expensive memory type. The drives carry a 64MB onboard cache and a three-year warranty, while mean time between failure is rated at 1.5 million hours.
OCZ Anti Slowdown SSDs
OCZ and storage chipset maker Indilinx in the past few days have unveiled a new firmware technique for solid-state drives that could avert the chronic slowdown in write speeds on these disks. As any storage cell on an SSD needs to be completely re-written if any amount of data exists, many SSDs collect "garbage" data which is just enough to force a rewrite and slow down the regular data recording process. The new approach automatically scrubs data from these cells and effectively restores an SSD to a near-new state if left alone for enough time.
OCZ 1TB SSD
OCZ has announced pricing information and a launch time-frame for its 1TB Colossus SSD introduced at Computex last month. The drive is relatively large, with a weight of 400g, although it is designed to fit in a standard 3.5-inch drive bay. The company claims read speeds of up to 250MB/s and write speeds of 200MB using a SATA II interface.
OCZ Vertex Turbo SSDs
OCZ today aimed for the performance crown and launched its Vertex Turbo solid-state drives. The 2.5-inch drives build on the existing formula of the Vertex line by increasing the clock speed for both the host controller managing data as well as the 64MB of cache; OCZ estimates peak read speeds of up to 270MB per second (up from 250MB) and peak writes of 210MB per second (from 160MB). Adding the extra speed provides an extra edge for notebooks and, through a bay adapter, performance desktops.
OCZ Sabre gaming keyboard
OCZ on Tuesday released its Sabre OLED multimedia keyboard meant for gamers or CAD professionals. OCZ's first premium peripheral offering, the Sabre sports nine dedicated OLED keys (not unlike Art Lebedev Optimus keyboards) that can be customized and are capable of displaying key icons converted from digital images or text. The rest of the 103 keys are backlit with amber LEDs.
OCZ Agility SSD
OCZ has without fanfare added a new solid-state drive line to its mix that negotiates a balance between its fastest and cheapest options. The Agility series is based on multi-level cell (MLC) storage but is faster than the basic Solid series. Peak reading speeds top 235MB per second while writes finish at 135MB per second; sustained writing holds at 80MB per second.
OCZ Colossus SSD
OCZ at Computex today upgraded its solid-state drives with its first drive built from the start as a 3.5-inch SATA II desktop drive. The Colossus fills out the bay area by pairing two drives together in a RAID 0 stripe. OCZ isn't prepared to make performance claims but should deliver much faster performance through the Colossus than any of its 2.5-inch drives while doubling the maximum capacity.
OCZ Summit Series SSDs
OCZ late yesterday added to its solid-state drive line with the Summit series. The new 2.5-inch SATA II design is considered a balance between speed and durability. Better-than-usual flash memory chips contribute to a mean time between failures of 1.5 million hours; a fast controller and 128MB of cache bring peak read speeds up to 220MB per second and sustained write speeds up to 200MB per second depending on the capacity.
Intel drops 2.5" SSD price
Intel will soon lower prices of its X25-M series of 2.5-inch solid state drives and boost production of its 1.8-inch SSDs, according to a Tuesday DailyTech report. The 160GB X25-M, which uses mulit-level cell flash memory, is now priced at $630 after launching for $945 last December, and is due to get another $100 price cut soon, while the 80GB version of that drive will fall to $270, down $50. Street prices are even lower, as retailers try to make the Intel drives appealing compared to OCZ's Vertex SSDs.
OCZ Z-Drive SSD
OCZ on Friday took its turn at the new class of RAID-striped solid-state drives and launched the Z-Drive. Like offerings from Fusion-io, the Z-Drive ties together four SSDs to a central RAID controller and plugs into a PCI Express slot, eliminating the bottlenecks of SATA and transferring data twice as fast or more than single SSDs. OCZ claims peak read speeds of 510MB per second and peak writes of 480MB per second for its top-end drive.
OCZ Vertex EX SSD
OCZ has dipped into the very high end of solid-state drives this week by launching the Vertex EX series. The line is one of OCZ's first recent storage options based on single-level cell (SLC) flash storage and is aimed at servers, workstations and other computers where longevity and performance matter more than a low price: in addition to taking longer to wear out than multi-level cell (MLC) drives, speeds peak at a high 260MB per second for reads and 210MB per second for writes.
OCZ Vertex SSD Mac Edition
OCZ has swung its attention towards Macs by launching storage and memory specifically geared towards iMacs, MacBooks and Mac minis. The Vertex Series Mac Edition is specifically validated in Apple's testing centers to work in the MacBook and MacBook Pro and provides much faster speeds than the stock rotating hard disks, reading data at 240MB per second and writing it at up to 170MB per second (100MB sustained). OCZ vows not only faster load times but also the improved battery life and impact resistance inherent to most SSDs.
OCZ outs Neutrino netbook
OCZ has officially announced its 10.1-inch Neutrino netbook, first shown during CeBIT at the beginning of March. Part of the company's Do-It-Yourself (DIY) line-up, the computer can be upgraded by users without voiding the warranty. The Neutrino weighs just under 2.9lbs, and by default sports a 1024x600, LED-backlit screen, though it can be upgraded to a 1600x1200 display. Processing power comes from a 1.6GHz Atom CPU.
OCZ intros two gaming mice
OCZ on Monday unveiled two new laser mice meant for gamers with the Behemoth and Eclipse. Either can be customized by each user, with four programmable profiles that can be switched between on the fly, while five removable metal weights that add up to 0.8oz (23g) can be removed or added for a personalized feel to the way the mouse feels in a user's hand. The USB 2.0 mice are plug-and-play and don't require users to install any software.
OCZ outs netbook, 1TB SSD
Memory maker OCZ has jumped into the netbook business with its Neutrino portable PC, which it demonstrated at the CeBIT show in Germany on Wednesday. The Neutrino sports a 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 CPU sitting on Intel's 945GSE mainboard and sports a 10-inch LED-backlit screen with 1024x600 resolution. Up to 2GB of RAM will be supported; 2.5-inch hard drives with up to 250GB are optional, including OCZ's own 250GB SSD drive. More interestingly, the netbook will be part of OCZ's DIY program, meaning owners can upgrade its memory or hard drive without voiding the warranty.
OCZ Illuminati keyboard
OCZ on Wednesday introduced its newest product, the Alchemy Illuminati Keyboard that features backlit keys in a choice of blue or red colors with adjustable brightness. The multimedia keyboard connects with Windows XP and Vista PCs without the need to download drivers and uses rubber-coated keys to improve its grip. A jog wheel is built in to speed up scrolling.

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The leaders of the biggest banks in Canada said Tuesday that they are still spending billions on transformative technologies as the financial sector’s digital “arms race” shows no signs of abating.
“Quite often I say that we’re in the technology business, and our product happens to be financial services,” Brian Porter, Bank of Nova Scotia president and chief executive officer, told the audience at the RBC Capital Markets Canadian Bank CEO Conference in Toronto.
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Porter said his bank increased its spending on technology last year by 14 per cent — to $3.1 billion. Of that, he said, 60 per cent was to help run the bank, and the other 40 per cent was tapped for “change-the-bank” and “aspirational”-type projects, including those involving blockchain, the digital ledger that supports bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.
Royal Bank of Canada president and chief executive officer Dave McKay said RBC is spending about $3 billion a year on technology, and has increased the share devoted to transformative projects to about 30 per cent from 20 per cent.
“I think we’re still in the early stages of seeing the benefit from that, and deploying these technologies, but they’re coming and they are making a difference,” McKay told the conference, which saw chief executives from the country’s top lenders each take a turn discussing their businesses.
The spending on the development of new technologies comes as the banks are still enjoying strong earnings, but are also dealing with the rise of decentralized and digital currencies, fintech upstarts trying to cut into their businesses, and the migration of customers towards mobile and online banking platforms. There is also the once-unthinkable prospect of direct competition from a tech giant, such as Amazon.com Inc. or Apple Inc.
“The arms race is definitely heating up,” said Darko Mihelic, research analyst at RBC Capital Markets, to open the conference.
Hours earlier, TD Bank Group had announced its purchase of Toronto-based Layer 6 Inc., a “world-renowned” artificial intelligence company, for an undisclosed price.
“We think it can accelerate our journey using artificial intelligence, which we feel is critical in delivering evolving customer expectations as we go forward,” said TD president and chief executive Bharat Masrani.
A few years ago, only around 25 per cent of the bank’s spending on technology was on changing-the-bank-type investments, while the rest was earmarked for ensuring systems were up to date and other operational aspects, he said.
“We’ve been able to shift that, to now where 40 per cent of our spend is geared towards changing the bank through innovation, new functionalities using various new technologies such as artificial intelligence, to connect with our customers,” Masrani said.
The RBC conference also came a day after Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce unveiled a new innovation banking business that aims to serve North American technology clients “from start-up to IPO and beyond.” To that end, CIBC also announced it had bought Toronto-based Wellington Financial, a privately-held venture fund that targets early and mid-stage tech companies in Canada and the United States.
“CIBC wants to be seen as a relevant bank in the technology and innovation sector broadly speaking,” Victor Dodig, CIBC president and chief executive, told the conference.
Dodig also said that CIBC has been consistently spending around $1 billion a year on tech, but is not spending blindly.
“What really matters? What really moves the dial forward on earnings, client satisfaction, client growth, and what is simple another shiny object?” Dodig said. “We’ve become disciplined about where those shiny objects are and really disciplined on where we invest in that regard.”
While the digital evolution continues, the banks are not yet ready to untether themselves from the bricks-and-mortar branches they operate throughout Canada and the U.S.
Asked if Bank of Montreal would consider an online retail bank in the U.S., BMO chief executive officer Darryl White downplayed expectations of the lender making a “big splash” with a digital-only acquisition.
“Anything’s possible, never say never, but we don’t want to disenfranchise the customer franchise that we have right now,” he said.
White also said that BMO increased their tech spending by 13 per cent last year, and would “probably” increase it again by double digits this year, though not without losing focus on growing earnings.
“It’s not a ‘let’s-increase-our-tech-spending-and-take-an-earnings-holiday,’” he said.


text: ROTTERDAM, N.Y. (NEWS10) – Three suspects accused of breaking into a Rotterdam sporting goods store after it shut down by a fire have been arrested. Jeremy Whittington, Adolph Cammilletti, and Paul Bergen are charged with burglary and grand larceny. All three have been arraigned and are being held for lack of bail. Police say they stole BB guns, crossbows, knives, ammunition, and other equipment from Taylor and Vadney. The items were valued at about $1,500.


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Likee partners with flying taxi company EHang
The air mobility firm will showcase its products and activities on the short video platform
The science fiction phenomenon is coming true as we get closer to attaining mass-produced air mobility. Though these AI-controlled flying robot taxis are still undergoing a fair amount of testing, interested audiences now have a verified platform to follow the progress. Likee, a popular short-video platform, has partnered with EHang, a world-leading Autonomous Aerial Vehicle (AAV) technology company, to showcase ‘flying taxis’ and their practices on the forum.
The partnership will see EHang, a China-based autonomous technology firm, set up its official account on Likee where it will post videos of passenger-grade flight demos and aerial media light shows from around the world. EHang is well-versed with the Middle East audience as the firm has been carrying out successful fully autonomous trial flights in Qatar and UAE. The flight demo footprint is further scattered in 11 countries worldwide.
Likee, a popular video platform in the Middle East and North Africa region draws big impressions when it comes to the concept of drones and flying taxis. The short video platform reported over 884.7 million views on #FlyingCars and 21.6 million on #Drone thread channels. Likee boasts of a 150 million user worldwide database.
A spokesperson from EHang further commented, “We believe that through this partnership with Likee, we will be able to amplify our efforts in terms of raising public awareness for air mobility solutions and cement ourselves as a global leader in creating and promoting exceptional AAV technologies not just in the MENA region, but across the world.”Recommend0 recommendationsPublished in


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Sony has been wondering about the players for a few months; made exciting statements about the mobile games that are still being worked on. According to what was stated in an interview, Sony’s anticipated mobile games will be adapted from the company’s new and popular productions. According to the statements, these games will appear “sooner than we expect”.
in the past months Sony’nin We had heard that it would bring some of its games to mobile platforms. Sony, which does not want to miss the mobile game train like every game company, has not made a statement about which productions these games will come from and when they will come. However, a promising statement came from an authoritative name recently.
Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO’su Jim Ryanannounced that new mobile games will come from new Sony productions. Ryan noted that these games will come “much sooner than we expect”, reducing the question marks in the minds of the players a bit.
The latest PlayStation titles coming soon to mobile platforms
Sony Launches the New WF-1000XM4 Headset, Which Brings Tears to Our Eyes With Its Price
Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan talked about Sony’s plans for mobile platforms and the reasons for these plans in a recent interview. Saying that one of the reasons is the success of Sony’s new big games, Ryan said, “It would be a disservice to limit this enjoyment to only the PlayStation community” used the phrases.
The CEO, who does not give much information when it comes to the details of the job, said that a few names are currently being worked on and We will see the fruits of our efforts soon. explained. In earlier statements on the subject, it was mentioned that these mobile games would be adaptations of the most popular and newest PlayStation productions. Some of the games in question are expected to arrive in app stores before the end of this year. However, it is not clear which games will come and when exactly they will be released.


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Dressbarn, the women’s clothing chain that’s been around for about 60 years, is closing all 650 of its stores.
Dressbarn has a location in Crystal Lake, 5460 Northwest Highway, and in McHenry, 2346 N. Richmond Road. It’s not clear when the stores will officially close. Dressbarn employs about 6,800 people.
Crystal Lake Community Development Director Michelle Rentzsch said Five Below, which is located in the same shopping center as Dressbarn, is considering moving into Dressbarn’s space. The transition is expected to be discussed at the June 5 Planning and Zoning Commission meeting, she said.
Plans for closing individual Dressbarn locations, including information about store closing sales, will be shared during the wind-down process. Dressbarn has retained A&G Realty Partners to assist on real estate-related matters, Dressbarn officials said in a news release.
Store employees will be notified and provided “transition support” once decisions are made regarding specific store closures, according to the release.
The company’s chief financial officer, Steven Taylor, said Dressbarn has not been operating at an “acceptable level of profitability in today’s retail environment.”
Its owner, Ascena Retail Group Inc., said it wants to focus on its more profitable brands. Ascena also owns other clothing stores.
After the news was announced Monday, shares of Ascena Retail Group Inc. rose 2.6% to $1.17 in extended trading. Shares of the Mahwah, New Jersey-based company are down more than 50% so far this year.
• Northwest Herald reporter Brittany Keeperman contributed to this report.


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Outdoor Food Hall, Beer Garden Coming To Springfield
An outdoor food hall and live music venue, the first of its kind in Jacksonville, is preparing for a Nov. 14 soft opening in Springfield.
WJCT News partner the Jacksonville Daily Record reports entrepreneur Evan Metz is developing the project he is calling Alberi at 1819 N. Main St. It is on an acre that his business partner, Up-Side Management Company President Victor Letourneaut, owns.
It is across Main Street from Strings Sports Brewery.
At its Nov. 14 soft opening, Metz said several food vendors will be onsite and several musicians and comedians will perform from 4-10 p.m.
Metz said the facility may hold another event in the coming months and will open full time in early 2021.
“The concept itself is a combination of a food hall, beer garden and live music venue,” Metz said.
For the opening event, Alberi will host several Jacksonville restaurants and breweries, including Jax Beach Brunch Haus, Buchner’s Bierhalle, Khloe’s Kitchen, La Nota Venezuelan, Twisting Roots and Engine 15 Brewing Company.
Read the rest of this story at JaxDailyRecord.com.


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Fresh has become a mantra of the restaurant industry these days, and there’s nothing that conveys fresh better than using raw items, particularly fruits and vegetables. The growth of salads on limited-service menus has fueled operators’ use of all types of raw foods, and there are an increasing number of menu items across all dayparts that rely on fresh fruits and vegetables for their taste, texture, and color.
Americans consumed 20 percent more fresh food in 2013 than they did a decade earlier, according to market research firm The NPD Group. The company expects all three dayparts to get even fresher during the next five years, driven by Millennials and Generation Z.
“There’s been a slow but steady shift to fresh food,” says Darren Seifer, NPD’s food and beverage industry analyst. “There seem to be a number of cultural reasons for this, but a significant factor is the impact of Millennials.”
The financial impact of the Great Recession and life changes, notably starting families, led many in that generation to prepare more meals at home, often using the fresh ingredients they had discovered at restaurants. But, even though Millennials have reduced their restaurant visits, they still dine out.
“When they do, they’re homing in on things they find valuable—like freshness,” Seifer says.
Safely cleaned raw fruits and vegetables also provide more nutritional value. “When foods are cooked, nutrients can be lost,” says Holly Michaels, marketing dietitian at blender manufacturer Blendtec. “Eating the food raw maintains its nutritional value.”
Another key factor in the rising use of raw food is America’s large and growing Hispanic demographic. Seifer says there is a strong emphasis on fresh fruits and vegetables in that demographic’s meal preferences, especially among younger Hispanics. That shows up in various Mexican-inspired limited-service restaurants, such as lime wedges served with some tacos at Del Taco and chopped onions, tomatoes, peppers, and other vegetables in menu items at Moe’s Southwest Grill.
One key raw item in Mexican cooking is the avocado, which is the main ingredient in guacamole. Avocados are increasingly showing up in their raw form, peeled and sliced.
El Pollo Loco serves fresh avocados in numerous items, including sliced in a line of Avocado Tostadas and chopped in several chicken burritos.
“It gives a fresh, premium halo,” says Heather Gardea, vice president of research and development at the Costa Mesa, California–based company. “We do make fresh guacamole, but we feel guests respond better to the real avocado.”
Whether they are served cold or in a warm burrito, the rich, creamy taste and texture of avocados holds up well, she adds. The fruit can balance an otherwise acidic or crunchy dish.
“I relate it to a bowl of tomato soup,” Gardea says. “After eating a little, you can get bored. But if you add croutons, bacon, and other ingredients, you wonder what the next bite will bring. You get all these textures.”
Avocados have gone beyond Southwestern cooking to become part of sandwich, salad, and entrée builds in hundreds of limited-service restaurants nationwide, ranging from the breakfast Anaheim Scrambler at Corner Bakery to Habit Burger’s Santa Barbara–Style Charburger. Key to the fruit’s growth is its plentiful year-round supply; California’s product is plentiful from spring through summer, while Mexico, Peru, Chile, and other nations produce avocados in other months.
“The other thing playing into it is a better understanding today than in years past of the nutritional value avocados bring to the table, as well as their versatility,” says Jan DeLyser, vice president of marketing for the California Avocado Commission. “It adds a kind of richness to a dish when you can incorporate it. On the nutrition piece, the whole profile of good fats in the diet has become elevated in the consumer’s mind, and avocados are a great provider of good fat.”
El Pollo Loco also uses other raw fruits and vegetables to provide taste and texture, including serrano peppers, tomatoes, cabbage, lemons, and mangoes.
While raw produce is usually integrated in dishes, sometimes it’s served alone. McDonald’s began offering fresh, sliced apples as a kids’ meal option about a decade ago, and others followed. Some places feature small oranges and peeled carrots.
The most prominent use of raw fruits and vegetables at quick-service and fast-casual restaurants, however, is in salads. Wendy’s has been a leader in this, having launched the Garden Sensations premium salads in 2002. In recent years, the Dublin, Ohio–based company has added fruit and nuts to its salads, which include vegetables like romaine lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, and red bell peppers.
This year, Wendy’s created an ad campaign that stresses its salads’ field-to-fork freshness, showing how the vegetables are washed, chopped, and hand-placed into salads at each unit. A companion Internet video shows the trek romaine makes to the restaurant.
“We wanted to get across not just the fact that we have salads, but what we do every day in our restaurants to prepare the freshest salads,” says Frank Vamos, director of brand communications. “Not a lot of customers know this, and it’s a story we’re very proud of.”
Outer leafs of lettuce are used in burgers and chicken sandwiches, and the rest goes into salads, says Shelly Thobe, director of culinary product innovations. Sliced cucumbers, diced tomatoes, and other ingredients are prepared daily as well.
“We have a strong supply chain and are constantly getting trucks to the restaurants [delivering produce],” she says. That results in few shelf-life issues.
Wendy’s features apples in its Apple Pecan Chicken Salad and used blueberries and California strawberries in its popular seasonal Berry Almond Chicken Salad.
Strawberries are a natural fit for a wide range of menu items, says Christine Christian, senior vice president of the California Strawberry Commission. “It’s a nice way to bring in natural sweetness, natural acids. It’s sweet, but it’s low in sugar.”
Pairing strawberries in salads with chicken has become popular because they balance each other, she adds. The fruit also can partner well with various nuts and cheeses. Beyond that, Christian says, strawberries provide a natural brightness to sauces, desserts, and beverages from craft drinks to smoothies.
Sliced fresh apples—both sweet and tart—have been a growing part of limited-service restaurant menus, both in single-serve portions for customers and in larger amounts for other items, such as salads, entrées, juices, and smoothies.
“We are servicing more quick-service restaurants these days,” says Tony Freytag, senior vice president of sales and marketing at apple provider Crunch Pak, based in Cashmere, Washington. “I think the majority today are used in salads, but we’re also seeing them in wraps.” Pre-sliced apples give operators a fresh option with fixed costs and minimal waste, he says.
For Jesse Gideon, chef and chief operating officer at Atlanta-based Fresh To Order, raw vegetables and fruit bring exceptional flexibility to a menu.
“One reason I use them on the menu in multiple places is because they are more versatile than proteins or sauces, not only to layer a wide variety of flavors, but also to play with textures,” he says.
One example is the Asian Chicken Crunch Panini, which features an almond-crusted chicken tender with ginger apricot coleslaw and avocado aioli and is served with green apples. “You get sweet, bitter, astringent, sharp, and a ton of different crunches,” Gideon says.
A roasted corn peanut relish is a component in several Fresh To Order dishes, including salmon. Fresh corn is shucked and the kernels are slightly grilled to change the flavor slightly. “Corn and peanuts together are an amazing flavor and texture,” Gideon adds.
Mushrooms, squash, zucchini, various tomato varieties, and other veggies dot the menu. Vegetables and fruit—many of them seasonal—appear not only in food, but also in beverages like cucumber water and citrus-mint sweet tea.
Menu items with raw fruit and vegetables come across as a lighter way of eating, especially in hot-weather areas, says Clint Woods, chef at Flower Child, a new fast-casual chain developed by Phoenix-based Fox Restaurant Concepts. “There’s nothing as refreshing as cool fruits and vegetables,” he says.
Flower Child uses a wide range of raw foods in its menu: kale, apples, avocados, heirloom carrots and tomatoes, radishes, Peppadew peppers, beets, broccoli, lemons, cauliflower, and more.
“We’re open to whatever the local farms are growing and try to work it into the menu,” Woods says. That extends to beverages, including seasonal lemonades.
Raw produce is not only full of vitamins and minerals, but it also brings color to the plate. “Our food is bright and fresh, with the beautiful raw colors of the vegetables,” he adds.
One restaurant industry segment historically using raw vegetables is pizza. Onions, green peppers, tomatoes, and mushrooms are particular favorites atop the baked pies.
At Miami-based Pizza Rustica, all kinds of vegetables make their way onto pizzas. Eggplant, zucchini, and squash are part of the Con Vegetable pizza, along with red and green peppers, broccoli, and red onions.
“We use only fresh ingredients, nothing frozen,” says the Roman-style pizza chain’s chef and founder, Pino Piroso. “We don’t even have freezers in our stores.”
Part of Pizza Rustica’s concept is to serve a full meal on a piece of pizza, Piroso says, and that can include pizza with proteins and vegetables or with produce alone, such as the Pizza con Potate, with slices of Yukon Gold potatoes among its ingredients. There’s also fresh fruit—strawberries and bananas—on a dessert pizza.
While most restaurants have raw ingredients as a part of their menus, some operators, particularly those featuring juices and smoothies, make dominant use of them.
“Raw fruits and veggies provide all the nutrients as advertised,” says Noah Burgess, research and development scientist at Juice It Up! “High levels of heat will de-nature the vitamins in fruits and vegetables.”
The Irvine, California–based chain uses 14 raw fruits and vegetables for its juices, smoothies, and açaí bowls. Among these ingredients, kale is “the big guy” for nutrition, he says, rich in vitamins A, C, and K, as well as numerous minerals.
Juices typically combine sweet and tart ingredients, while smoothies need a balance of vegetables and fruit for flavor and texture. For example, Juice It Up!’s Ever Green smoothie has kale and spinach, plus apple juice, lemonade, pineapple, and lime and pineapple sherbets.
The fruit in smoothies and bowls is often flash frozen, but Burgess says there’s no drop in nutritional value with these ingredients, noting that “freezing is nature’s pause button.”
While blenders are important for juices and smoothies, there are other roles the devices can play in helping chefs create menu items with raw vegetables and fruit.
“A number of sauces use raw ingredients, such as a tomato sauce or pesto sauce,” says Blendtec’s Michaels. “Salad dressings also can be made with raw ingredients.”
While heating vegetables in soup causes them to lose some nutritional benefits, she adds, they can retain those nutrients by being blended into cold or even warm soups.
“Warm soups are still considered raw at 110 degrees,” she says. “You can run it through the blender for 70–90 seconds, which warms it up. You don’t have to worry about putting it on the stovetop.”


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IPOs may be back for tech and for unicorns.
As of this writing on Friday (April 7), Okta looked poised to make gains out of the gate on Friday, with 11 million shares for sale in an offering that had been slated to raise nearly $190 million for the enterprise software firm.
And even as deal making got buttoned up, as seen with Cisco and AppDynamics (which was bought for $3.7 billion just before coming public) at the end of last month, the IPO landscape is marked with additional anticipation, as Cloudera is coming to market.
The company filed its S-1 document with the SEC late last month, with a rough $4 billion implied valuation, as noted by TechCrunch. Revenues have grown 57 percent year over year, with sales of $261 million and losses of $187 million. In one notable funding round, Intel invested $740 million in the company (which was its latest private investment round).
Other unicorns may be pawing at the ground for public debuts. The financial trade press reports that Spotify, the music streaming service, may list this year. But in a twist, the shares would list directly in an exchange, which means that the firm would not sell shares directly to institutions or individuals, with some money saved on underwriting.
Separately, Japan’s Softbank, among the biggest investors in Snapdeal, is looking to effect a sale in that Indian eCommerce play, with no agreements in place yet.


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A Lincoln IT firm has been shortlisted for a prestigious business growth award from TechMarketView.
Software Europe, based just outside of Hykeham, south of Lincoln, will be fighting it out in the style of BBC’s ‘Dragon’s Den’ to win the title of Little British Battler.
The company will be presenting their business, products and services and competing against 11 other firms around the UK.
The firm, which employs only 53 people locally, has already beaten hundreds of entrants to reach the final. The panel that Software Europe will go up against will be the founders and partners of TechMarketView which researched, reviewed and analysis companies in the IT industry.
Little British Battlers are small but growing IT firms, with annual revenues of up to £25 million, seen to be ‘punching about their weight’ in technology disciplines.
Neil Everatt, CEO of Software Europe, said: “In the past 12 months, our company has grown considerably. Sales of our software into the NHS are raising rapidly. In fact, we have just won our 150th NHS Customer.
“We’ve also recently won contracts with some well-known organisations like DF and Southampton Football Club.
“We’re recruiting great people from around the area to join the team and this, along with our products, will hopefully help us to win the Little British Battler crown.”


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Google announced yesterday that they will begin delivering groceries to consumers. This has been tried before. Publix has experimented with this and may do it again. I’ve seen local grocery clerks deliver bags of groceries to the elderly, like my grandmother, in Queens.
Google has made a lasting impact on our lives with their search engine, ad words, Google Earth, the list goes on. Groceries are totally different. A lot of things have to fall in place.
Google Express will have to make sure Whole Foods, and Costco the grocer, partnering with Google has the product. Will the truck get to the store when its scheduled? Will the clerk be ready to stock the item. Will there be enough product, especially for a sale item. A lot of things can go awry during the process and I can’t wait to see how effectively it plays out over the next sis months. Mother Nature plays a role too and can easily push back truck deliveries. Never mind the small margins. Then the trucks have to be unloaded from all the stores participating like Target, Costco, etc., which can be a dance too especially if grocery clerks are new and inexperienced.
Grocers will benefit from lower gas prices, which lowers transportation costs. That being said it will be interesting if food prices rise, when, and I do mean when, gas prices go up again, They also have brand recognition and I’m sure have planned for all situations to arise. I will be adding more of my analysis regarding grocery deliver and see if this will be a disruptive service.


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House Committee on Agriculture Chairman K. Michael Conaway (TX-11) and Conservation and Forestry Subcommittee Chairman Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson (PA-5) released the following statement in response to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Army Corps of Engineers final “waters of the United States” (WOTUS) rule. This rule further obscures the original intent of the Clean Water Act (CWA) by significantly expanding waters subject to federal jurisdiction.
Goodlatte Commends U.S./Russian Trade Agreement
WASHINGTON, D.C. – House Committee on Agriculture Chairman Bob Goodlatte today issued the following statement regarding the agreement between the U.S. and the Russian Federation confirming a previous understanding allowing for specified access for U.S. poultry, beef and pork into the Russian market:
“I would like to commend U.S. Trade Representative Rob Portman and Chief Agricultural Negotiator Allen Johnson on their diligence and hard work in negotiating the agreement signed this week between the U.S. and Russia. This agreement will not only create stronger trade relations between Russia and the U.S., it will also provide market access for U.S. producers. Although Russia remains the top export market for U.S. poultry, exports to the country have declined due to recent restrictions. This agreement will stabilize the export market for U.S. poultry, pork and beef producers. American agriculture is dependent on access to global markets and a vibrant trade policy.”


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Georgia's new $30 lottery tickets selling 'like crazy'
Lottery players are lining up to lay down some serious scratch in Georgia and Tennessee, which recently joined a number of states offering instant tickets that cost more than $25 apiece.
People are buying them like crazy, Tessa Mize, a clerk at the Mega Star gas station in Rossville on Chickamauga Avenue, said of the $30 scratch-off ticket that the Georgia Lottery introduced last week. It has a $10 million grand prize.
Meanwhile, Tennessee Lottery officials are happy with sales of a $25 i ...
Feb 5, 2014, 10:11 am - Lottery News forum
Snowstorms hurt Massachusetts Lottery sales
Lottery ticket sales dipped in December by nearly $1 million below last year s total a drop Lottery officials attribute to two snowstorms that kept buyers out of stores.
During the Dec. 17 storm, Lottery agents lost out on rush hour sales when many commuters spent hours in their cars driving home, Beth Bresnahan, assistant executive director of marketing and communications, said during a Lottery Commission meeting Tuesday.
But a record $648 million Mega Millions jackpot prevented the sales ...
Jan 29, 2014, 11:40 am - Lottery News forum
Fla. Lottery sales top $5 billion for first time
The Florida Lottery topped $5 billion in sales for the first time during the fiscal year that ended June 30, the department announced Monday.
A record $1.41 billion is expected to go into the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund, the Lottery reported
Both amounts top the previous highs reached the year before, when sales were $4.45 billion and education transfers were $1.31 billion.
In two fiscal years, the Florida Lottery has increased sales by $1 billion. That's the fastest pace to one ...
Jul 9, 2013, 7:51 am - Lottery News forum
New Jersey Lottery signs 15-year deal with Northstar NJ
Private company to take over marketing, sales, other functions
Scientific Games Corporation today announced that Northstar New Jersey Lottery Group, LLC ( Northstar NJ ) has signed a long-term agreement to provide marketing, sales and other services to the New Jersey Lottery.
Services under the agreement are expected to begin on October 1, 2013 following a transition period and end on June 30, 2029.
Northstar NJ is a joint venture comprised of Scientific Games New Jersey LLC, a subsidia ...
Jun 21, 2013, 9:44 am - Lottery News forum
GTECH picked to run Indiana Lottery
The Hoosier Lottery board voted Wednesday to hire a private company to oversee sales, marketing and other operations with the goal of earning the state about $2.1 billion in additional revenue through 2028.
The board chose Rhode Island-based GTECH which provides similar services to the Illinois lottery and provides some computerized game services in Kentucky at the recommendation of Hoosier Lottery officials, who conducted an expansive review of the two companies vying for the 15-year contrac ...
Oct 3, 2012, 8:19 pm - Lottery News forum
NJ moves to privatize lottery sales, marketing
Four companies interested in running portions of the New Jersey Lottery attended a mandatory information session in Trenton last Thursday, the first step toward privatization.
The state Treasury Department is looking to hand over sales and marketing operations to a private vendor next year. The state would retain ownership of the lottery under the plan, and state employees would continue to manage its operations though those jobs are not guaranteed.
New Jersey has the eighth largest state ...
Sep 11, 2012, 12:24 pm - Lottery News forum
Illinois picks right week to start selling tickets online
But online sales still dwarfed by retailer sales
With a record $540 million Mega Millions jackpot in play, Illinois picked the right week to become the first state in the nation to sell lottery tickets online. Others are watching closely to see if the new approach pays off and whether the state takes the next big step: launching online poker, blackjack and other casino games.
It took only three minutes for the first online lottery ticket to sell once the system went live at 7 a.m. Sunday. ...
Mar 30, 2012, 7:51 am - Lottery News forum
Online Illinois lottery tickets net $15K first day
Illinois Lottery officials say the first day of online lottery tickets brought in more than $15,000 in sales.
On Sunday Illinois became the first state to offer the games of chance online. The first ticket was bought at 7:03 a.m., just minutes after Mega Millions and Lotto tickets became available online. Within hours, hundreds of people had purchased tickets.
Lottery officials say they believe the pace of sales will be fast until Tuesday evening. That's when the Mega Millions drawing take ...
Mar 26, 2012, 6:54 pm - Lottery News forum
Lottery ticket sales increase across country
Financial records for 41 state lotteries that end their fiscal year in June show 28 had higher sales than the year before. Seventeen of those states set all-time sales records.
Kate Sweeny, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of California-Riverside, said an uptick in lottery sales largely occurs when people feel a lack of control over events larger than themselves, such as the economy.
Jeff Anderson, head of the executive committee of the North American Association of S ...
Sep 6, 2011, 9:05 am - Lottery News forum
Arizona Lottery sales hit record levels
People in Arizona are spending record amounts of money on lottery tickets, a sales surge that is surpassing that of other states.
In a recent national comparison of state lottery sales, Arizona ranked first out of 43 states and the District of Columbia in percentage increase from fiscal 2009 to 2010, according to the trade publication La Fleur's Magazine.
In fiscal 2011, which for Arizona ended June 30, the Lottery sold $584 million in tickets, its most ever.
However, the Arizona Lotter ...
Aug 19, 2011, 8:15 am - Lottery News forum


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Uber is looking to hire an operations executive to start delivering food by drone as early as next year according to an article in the Wall Street Journal. According to the since-deleted job listing, the drone executive will “enable safe, legal, efficient and scalable flight operations.” A spokesperson for the San Francisco company said that the posting did “not fully reflect our program, which is still in very early days.” It does indeed seem to be very early as the FAA first has to develop the rules that will allow commercial drone operators to fly beyond visual-line-of-sight and over crowds of people. But, like Amazon, Uber is not afraid to show its ambition.
Your food delivered by Uber drone
Greg Bensinger writes for the Wall Street Journal that:
“The San Francisco company is seeking an operations executive who can help make delivery drones functional as soon as next year and commercially operational in multiple markets by 2021, according to a job posting that appeared on Uber’s website.
The drone executive will “enable safe, legal, efficient and scalable flight operations,” according to the job listing, which refers to UberExpress, an internal name used for the drone delivery operation within its UberEats prepared-food delivery unit.
After an inquiry from The Wall Street Journal, Uber removed the job listing titled “Flight Standards and Training” from its site. A spokesman said the posting “does not fully reflect our program, which is still in very early days.”
Before Uber can make any drone deliveries, the Federal Aviation Administration will have to develop rules for operating the vehicles beyond the sight of ground operators. Initial regulatory concepts aren’t likely to be revealed until the first quarter of next year, at the earliest, according to industry observers.
The agency also needs to develop additional rules for night flights and reliable drone identification while the vehicles are airborne. Adopting those rules could stretch into 2020, though Congress recently mandated a 2019 deadline for unveiling initial plans to permit package deliveries by drones.”
Reportedly, Uber Chief Executive Dara Khosrowshahi said at the company’s flying-taxi conference in May that “We need flying burgers.”
You can read the entire article here [paywall].
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The electric vehicle (EV) revolution has swept the world, and one company that has made news in this space is Rivian Automotive. With its innovative EV portfolio and ambitious expansion plans, Rivian has captured the interest of both investors and fans. Think about the following intriguing question as we explore the future: Will rivian stock price prediction 2030 soar to new heights and reach a trillion-dollar valuation by 2030?
Rivian’s Stock: Ups and Downs, and Future Prospects
rivian stock price prediction 2030 shares peaked at $172.01 in November 2021, boosting its worth to $153 billion and overtaking industry titans. Concerns were raised, however, because the company was valued at 85 times its estimated 2022 revenues.
The stock is now trading at around $16 per share, with a market worth of $14.5 billion, less than three times its expected 2023 sales. Economic concerns, supply chain challenges, and financial losses all played a role. Can Rivian overcome these challenges and reach a trillion-dollar valuation by 2030?
A Glimpse into Rivian’s Future
rivian stock price prediction 2030 product selection comprises the R1T pickup truck, the R1S SUV, and an electric delivery van (EDV) created specifically for Amazon, the company’s principal investor. Despite supply chain challenges, Rivian built 24,337 vehicles in 2022, falling just shy of its objective. Nonetheless, the company’s leadership seems unfazed. They anticipate a future in which Rivian will produce one million automobiles annually by 2030, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 59% from 2022 onwards.
When applied to revenue, this growth pattern provides an impressive image. Rivian’s income, which was $1.8 billion in 2022, is expected to increase to approximately $75 billion by 2030. If valued at 14 times its sales then, Rivian could potentially enter the trillion-dollar club, offering investors a potential near-70-fold return.
Drawing Parallels: The Tesla Connection
The projected course of Rivian and Tesla, a market leader in electric vehicles, is similar. Tesla, worth 12 times its anticipated 2022 sales, will hit the trillion-dollar mark in October 2021. However, factors such as production problems, price changes, and the actions of Tesla’s well-known CEO, Elon Musk, have caused the company’s valuation to vary.
Obstacles and Opportunities
Rivian must overcome severe challenges to realize its lofty ambition completely. Rivian’s Illinois facility now produces 150,000 automobiles per year, with ambitions to increase that to 200,000 soon. A Georgia plant by 2024 could raise Rivian’s capacity to 600,000 vehicles, fulfilling Amazon’s 100,000 EDV order and more.
Rivian’s product plan includes launching the luxurious R1X SUV in late 2023, followed by the second-gen R2 vehicles in 2026. Despite this optimistic prognosis, it’s worth noting that Rivian’s road to profitability remains a mystery. Even if experts forecast a net loss of $6.4 billion on $5.3 billion in revenue in 2023, the company would almost certainly lose money.
Because of its $13.8 billion cash balance as of the most recent quarter and an acceptable debt-to-equity ratio, rivian stock price prediction 2030 has some financial flexibility. However, the company’s increased manufacturing capacity will prevent it from increasing its cash reserves. Global economic downturns, supply chain interruptions, and greater competition in the EV market might hamper Rivian’s development.
The Road Ahead: Opportunities and Risks
The path ahead is yet to be discovered, although Rivian can follow Tesla’s lead and join the trillion-dollar club by 2030. The company’s future will be determined by its ability to meet its ambitious production targets and persuade investors of its worth. Rivian must respond to changing market conditions and guarantee revenue growth fits its aspirational ambitions as the EV environment develops.
Supply Chain Management and Production Scaling
Rivian’s target of producing a million automobiles annually by 2030 is ambitious. Supply chain management, operational effectiveness, and labor coordination are required to achieve these output levels. The firm needs assistance attaining its production goal 2022 due to supply chain restrictions, underlining the risks of such rapid expansion.
Profitability and financial health
Long-term profitability is equally as important as sales growth in stock price growth. According to Rivian’s financial estimates, significant losses will occur in the next years. Although this is usual for growth-oriented businesses, investors should consider the organization’s cost-cutting and profit-seeking activities.
While Rivian stock price prediction 2030 benefits from strong cash reserves and a low debt-to-equity ratio, cash usage in expansion demands scrutiny. The firm’s capacity to obtain new cash without diluting current shareholders will also impact its future.
With established automakers and recent newcomers competing for consumers’ attention, the market for electric vehicles is becoming more and more competitive. Rivian holds an edge with unique products and Amazon’s backing. Yet, scrutiny is essential for sustained market differentiation.
The competition extends beyond product offers, including software capabilities, charging infrastructure, and brand reputation. Investors must assess Rivian’s strategies for retaining its dominance in the market.
Market Sentiment and Valuation
A company’s stock price may be significantly impacted by market mood, particularly in growth-oriented industries like EVs. Rivian may replicate Tesla’s growth pattern, but investors should proceed cautiously and avoid excessive speculation. For example, price-to-sales ratios should be evaluated regarding industry standards and the company’s expansion goals.
Rivian’s capacity to convince investors of its value proposition will influence its future stock direction. Maintaining investor trust could become more difficult as its growth rate rises.


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Solar Power and the Future of Recreational BoatingPublished on November 9, 2023
The marine industry has long been a leader in finding ways to use innovation and progress by adapting to changes in the business landscape. The emergence of solar energy in this sector is not just a ray of hope but a significant transformation that promises economic and environmental benefits. As the world seeks to find cleaner energy solutions, several businesses are keeping pace.
Companies like ShoreMaster and Faroboats are making waves through newly introduced products or re-imagined ways of bringing power to the boats that provide services designed to enhance sustainability and efficiency. These products are changing the way industry leaders view boat maintenance and power.
ShoreMaster, a leading manufacturer of boat lifts and docks, has long recognized the potential of solar energy in the marine sector. They offer a wide range of solar products tailored primarily to individual boat owners, mainly in the northeastern part of the United States. A merger with Hydro-Hoist LLC in Oklahoma and the acquisition of Neptune Boat Lifts in Florida brought three distinct market leaders together under the umbrella of Waterfront Brands. As they grow, they are leaning into increasing solar possibilities through their partners in retail distribution.
“ShoreMaster has been offering solar products for more than 37 years,” said Gary Haffley, customer support team manager for Waterfront Brands, the parent company of ShoreMaster. “In the northern tier, they must pull everything out of the water in the winter so those mostly use solar power. But I think solar is growing across the country. Since the merger of ShoreMaster and HydroHoist, solar power has been a hot topic for other types of docks and lifts like the big permanent dock structures you see in the southern part of the country.”
Solar panels for individual docks tend to be 12 volt with one battery but are available in 24 volt for larger set-ups. While both are simple to install, and their quality has gotten better over the years, perhaps the best part of a solar panel is the consistency.
“They really don’t need any maintenance,” said Haffley. “If you have winds strong enough to damage one then you have bigger problems. But you typically don’t need to maintain them at all.”
Haffley said that in the United States, complete conversion to solar power isn’t likely for marinas – for now. “While there has been a push toward that, it hasn’t quite taken hold but may happen in the future.
Harnessing the power of the sun is not a new concept, but its integration into the marine industry has taken significant strides in recent years and is an ever-evolving project. Through photovoltaic solar panels, electricity is generated to power various systems and equipment on board, reducing the reliance on gas and minimizing carbon output, a growing concern across the globe.
Faroboats in Lisbon, Portugal, is at the forefront of efforts to change the environmental impact of the marina industry while designing and producing sleek and sustainable solutions for leisure boating. They unveiled Powerdock, the world’s first floating solar dock earlier this year and according to Luis Marinho Falcao, head of Communications & Sustainable Growth, the response has been positive and interesting.
“At first, people were stunned because it looks like a spaceship and it’s the first in the world,” he said. “We’ve had lots of coverage from specialized press from Australia to Thailand, literally around the globe.”
The Powerdock is designed for the Faro5 runabout electric boat. In addition to charging the boat in less than three hours, Powerdock can raise it completely out of the water using an oversized pillow-like lift.
While electric boats are common throughout Europe, Marinho Falcao confirmed growth will be slower to come in the United States, but when it does it will be fast, so they are planning carefully. While they can take small individual orders from the United States now, their goal is to make them available in late 2024. Into 2025, they will produce and offer floating docks for boats up to 30 feet in length. Even for those with gas powered vessels, conversion to electric or hybrid is an option.
“The thing about the PowerDock is it’s a solid little toy that has the batteries inside of it completely isolated but ventilated,” he said. “It’s essentially a power bank that floats. We often ask ourselves, ‘why didn’t somebody think of this before’”?
While Faroboats is firmly committed to bringing cleaner energy into the boating world, Marinho Falcao is quick to acknowledge that there is work to be done on the back end of the solar industry.
“We are quite aware of environmental costs associated with mining lithium and especially for battery disposal,” he said. “We are constantly abreast of changes and there are some very interesting things happening with graphene and other alternative raw materials for larger capacity batteries. The appropriate recycling of batteries is a must. We are in contact with universities – some in the United States – that are experimenting with new solutions using Graphene. These batteries seem to be the future.”
As the marine industry embraces solar energy, the future looks promising. Solar-powered boats are not only easier on waterways, but cost-effective in the long run. With companies like ShoreMaster and Faroboats leading the way, solar-powered vessels and accessories are becoming more accessible and efficient. Solar energy stands out as a bright and promising solution for cleaner and more sustainable lakes and oceans.


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Kellogg is recalling many of their brands because they may contain an undeclared peanut residue.
The recall applies to certain varieties of their Mother's, Keebler, Kellogg's and Special K brownies and their Murray and Famous Amos snacks and cookies.
The recall follows a recall from Grain Craft of their wheat flower because it could contain low levels of peanut residue.
Consumers with severe peanut allergies should avoid the recalled products. However, the FDA does not believe the peanut levels are high enough to adversely affect the vast majority of consumers with peanut allergies.
Kellogg's has posted the following graphic online to illustrate the recalled products (Click on the picture to blow it up):
Anyone with the recalled products should throw them out and contact the company for a full refund.
Consumers can do so by calling 1-800-962-1413, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. ET or by visiting https://www.kelloggs.com/en_US/contact-us.html.


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Fungus promises to crack Li-ion battery recycling problem
American researchers have successfully used three types of fungus to extract lithium and cobalt from spent lithium-ion batteries.
The discovery, described as the world’s first, paves way for an innovative recycling process that could potentially solve the battery waste problem.
“The demand for lithium is rising rapidly, and it is not sustainable to keep mining new lithium resources," said Jeffrey A Cunningham, leader of the research team at the University of South Florida. "The idea first came from a student who had experience extracting some metals from waste slag left over from smelting operations. We were watching the huge growth in smartphones and all the other products with rechargeable batteries, so we shifted our focus.”
Though rechargeable, Li-ion batteries lose their capacity over time. Eventually, they deteriorate so much that they can no longer serve their original purpose. As no commercially available recycling method currently exists, most of the batteries end up in landfills or incinerators. At this stage the batteries still contain expensive materials that are also potentially harmful to the environment.
The fungi method developed by the South Florida team has several advantages over other recycling techniques.
Cunningham said the method is safer and potentially cheaper as it requires neither high temperatures nor harsh chemicals.
"Fungi are a very cheap source of labour," the researcher said. "Fungi naturally generate organic acids, and the acids work to leach out the metals."
Based on previous experiments with metal extraction from other types of waste products, Cunningham and his colleague Valerie Harwood selected three strains of fungi – aspergillus niger, penicilium simplicissimum and penicillium chrysogenum.
"We reasoned that the extraction mechanisms should be similar, and, if they are, these fungi could probably work to extract lithium and cobalt from spent batteries," Cunningham explained.
For the process to work, the batteries first need to be dismantled and their cathodes, which contain the metals, pulverised.
"Through the interaction of the fungus, acid and pulverized cathode, we can extract the valuable cobalt and lithium,” said Cunningham. “We are aiming to recover nearly all of the original material."
In the experiments, the researchers found that oxalic and citric acid generated by the fungi can retrieve up to 85 per cent of the lithium and 48 per cent of the cobalt.
Following the extraction, the metals remain trapped in a liquid acidic medium.
"We have ideas about how to remove cobalt and lithium from the acid, but at this point, they remain ideas," Cunningham admitted. "However, figuring out the initial extraction with fungi was a big step forward."
Other researchers are also using fungi to extract metals from electronic scrap, but Cunningham believes his team is the only one studying fungal bioleaching for spent rechargeable batteries.
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I can visualise a few raised eyebrows to the question “Will the container industry ever forget FOB”.. Especially since FOB has been and still seems to be an integral part … Read more..
South Africa has one of the highest youth unemployment rates in Africa (at 52%). Africa also has the youngest population in the world and according to the African Economic Outlook … Read more..
A lot of people have entered the business of import and export without proper initiation, training, knowledge or research and have been caught unawares because they either didn’t know how … Read more..


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Taneira's stellar OOH campaign in Gurgaon rolled out
07 February 2023, Mumbai
An innovation-led OOH campaign to promote Taneira from Titan Group's maiden all-women showroom in India, in Gurugram is executed by The Brand Sigma. The new store is placed at Ambience Mall, Gurugram (Delhi-NCR).
The brand is well known for promoting its incredible range of handloom sarees, and with the focused objective of reviving the culture/joy of wearing a ‘sari’ in the country, it boasts of inventing this unique piece of fabric.
The OOH palpable and snackable creative creates an instant connection with its "Namaste Gurugram" tagline which has spelled magic.


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The "Chicago Women’s Half Marathon" takes on a new name in 2014 to include a major new addition to the race's course, organizers announced Thursday.
The 13.1 mile race, scheduled for Aug. 31 -- the Sunday before Labor Day -- will for the first time include a 13-block portion of Michigan Avenue, from East Delaware Place to West Randolph Street, as the course centerpiece.
Registration for the new "Magnificent Mile Chicago Women’s Half Marathon & 5K" is available online at WomensHalfChiacgo.com.
"This will be a fabulous fusion of fitness, fashion and fun,” said Dave Zimmer, the President and CEO of Fleet Feet Sports - Chicago. "Given that the Half Marathon is the fastest-growing and most popular race distance in the world right now, and that women make up a full 60 percent of its participants, the event will offer active women yet another reason to spend Labor Day weekend in downtown Chicago with family and friends."
The event, which has been held earlier in the summer the previous two years, is expected to draw more than 10,000 women.


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The developers behind Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen have released a new update to their unreleased game. The update consists of lore for the unfinished game, and it serves to please fans and backers of the game. The newest MMORPG is trying to pick up steam and funding at Kickstarter. The creator behind the renowned Everquest franchise, Brad McQuaid, has set up this Kickstarter project in order to fund his epic planar high fantasy MMO.
“Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen is an MMORPG based on challenging gameplay and open world high fantasy, with a strong focus on group-oriented content. It takes place in a world populated by deities and heroes called Terminus. Mortal and planar shards have collided, creating the dramatic and epic environment of Terminus. With some of those shards came deities and demigods that, over time, raised empires and forged a turbulent political landscape. Centuries later, new planar collisions have occurred that will pull the players into the world and its politics.”
The idea sounds pretty cool for hardcore MMO fans, so i suggest you take look and back it up if you can!


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With the success of their smartphones in the Nigerian market, Gionee is interested in hiring a new Marketing Manager.
Preferably someone with experience in retail and the mobile industry. Their requirements are not extreme and are very practical. I can literally smell CVs from Slot on the hiring manager’s desk from here.
It was only 5 years ago that Gionee launched itself into the global market by selling low-budget smartphones mostly in developing countries; and now, they claim the title of the 10th largest mobile phone brand in the world by volume, and even developed the world’s slimmest smartphone in 2014. They recently began taking the Nigerian market a little more seriously by introducing high-end smartphones like the Gionee Elife E7.
I am impressed by their efforts so far. If you are interested in this role, you can apply here.
On January 27, 2021, Techpoint Africa will be hosting the brightest minds in decentralised finance/crypto at the Digital Currency Summit tagged “Building the money of the future” Click here for more details, registration and sponsorship.
Report: Millionaire West African startups” raised over $1.806 billion between 2010 and 2019, 97.9% of which went to Nigerian startups. Get a free overview and 50% purchase discount here.
Listen to Built in Africa, a podcast by Techpoint Africa


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The world’s largest retailer, and the world’s largest cat are on a collision path. Last month, Wal-Mart released a 59 page “Sustainability” progress report, in which the company said “we want to provide our customers with the assurance that not only are they getting value and quality, but they are getting a product that was produced in a socially responsible manner.” But the retailer’s wood procurement policies are all bark, and no bite. Wal-Mart sells wood products ranging from furniture, to picture frames, candle holders, tooth picks and popsicle sticks. The typical Wal-Mart supercenter can carry more than 900 different wood products. Wal-Mart tells the public that “an area of forest the size of a football field is cleared every second. That’s 86,400 football fields a day. In tropical forests, it’s estimated that 50,000 species become extinct each year because of deforestation.” The retailer has a “Forest and Paper Network” that seeks to get its suppliers to convert to certified wood, and to give preference to suppliers who can verify the use of sustainably harvested wood fiber. But Wal-Mart’s Paper Network seems to be on paper only. “When we discover sustainable factory issues, we are committed to seeking alternatives,” the company says, “or even removing products from shelves.” Based on this pledge, the Simplicity corporation should expect a call any day now from Wal-Mart, pulling Simplicity’s wooden cribs from its shelves. An undercover study released this week by the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA), a non-profit research agency, says that despite the company’s rhetoric about sustainable wood products, “Wal-Mart is turning a blind eye to illegal timber sources in its supply chain which threaten some of the world’s last great natural forests.” According to EIA, Wal-Mart does not ask its suppliers where their wood comes from, and the retailer’s ‘don’t ask’ policy “is having particularly dangerous consequences for the high conservation value forest of the Russian Far East and the endangered species dependent on them, including the world’s largest cat, the Siberian tiger. Roughly 84% of Wal-Mart’s wood products, like cribs and toilet seats, are sourced from China, and much of China’s lumber is imported from Russia, where as much as 50% of the logging is illegal. EIA undercover investigators met with 8 Chinese manufacturers that supply Wal-Mart with wood. EIA asserts that Wal-Mart is focused only on price, and “has not concerned itself with the origin of the timber used for its products.” Wal-Mart’s supply chain “will contribute to the depletion of Russia’s ‘protected’ forests unless concerted changes are made,” EIA warns. One supplier EIA examined makes over 200,000 baby cribs for Wal-Mart every year from Russian poplar and birch. EIA employees, posing as wood buyers, learned that Wal-Mart suppliers admitted to paying protection money to the Russian mafia, and to illegal logging. Almost comical is the fact that logs coming into China from Russia have to be offloaded from the railcars, and reloaded onto Chinese railcars, because the Russian train tracks are a different size than the Chinese. When Wal-Mart customers buy these wood products, they are supporting “criminal timber syndicates,” the environmental group says. Wal-Mart has pledged to “develop transparency to the wood fiber source,” but EIA replies that the retailer has shown a “lack of concern” about the sustainability of its wood sourcing. Illegally harvested wood is cheaper because it bypasses environmental regulations, permits, labor laws, taxes and tariffs. Illegal lumber also has a negative impact on the American economy. In 2004, illegal timber cost American suppliers $460 million in lost exports to foreign markets, and as much as $700 million in depressed U.S. prices. The EIA claims that Wal-Mart’s drive to squeeze the lowest price from its suppliers encourages illegal logging. “While the company has laid out strong talking points,”: EIA notes, “it has thus far avoided taking any firm action to eliminate even illegally logged timber from its supply chain, much less to source from sustainably harvested forests.” The group says that without concrete goals and more transparency, all Wal-Mart’s rhetoric about ‘good wood’ “cannot yet be taken seriously.” EIA documents Wal-Mart’s “total inattention to the legality of their raw materials.”
The EIA report calls on Wal-Mart “to commit to eliminating illegally sourced wood from its supply chain, and to implement a rigorous purchasing policy for wood products that includes auditing and tracking mechanisms.” EIA concludes that “the drive for ‘everyday low prices’ to the exclusion of other questions has a serious cost… .The type of logging pervasive in the Russian Far East damages the environment, robs the government of revenue, and promotes corruption. There is nothing sustainable about this model.” Wal-Mart admits “it’s difficult to know if the products we source are coming from certified suppliers and are being made using legally sustainable practices.” “It is now time for Wal-Mart to commit to eliminating illegal wood from its shelves, and communicate this policy to its suppliers of furniture, frames, toys, paper and packaging and other wood products,” the EIA insists. “Wal-Mart shoppers do not want to be an inadvertent party to forest crimes.” Alexander von Bismarck, the Executive Director of EIA, says, “To have Wal-Mart ignore measures that to the rest of the world seem common sense — such as asking where your suppliers’ wood is from — has an enormous impact. It undermines the current global efforts to clean up the timber industry. When Wal-Mart fails to implement an entire category of environmental responsibility, it creates demand designed to take advantage of that. This is currently feeding the illegal logging problem.” The EIA believes that Wal-Mart has within its power the ability to “limit the destruction of some of our planet’s final frontier forests and the wildlife and people who depend upon them.” Today, there are more than 6,800 Wal-Mart stores around the globe (the company recently opened its 3,000th international store), but only 400 remaining Siberian tigers. That’s not very sustainable odds.


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- Good To-Go's good deed: Through its DoBetter campaign and with the help of customers, Good To-Go donated one meal for every two purchased on their website and sent 768 meal portions to Team Rubicon.
- More good: Friends of Joshua Tree has given $10,000 in grants to furloughed contractors of the national park who needed help paying their bills during the 35-day federal government shutdown. “The contract workers who lost the entire month of January did not receive any such payment, so we’re stepping up to help," said John Lauretig, Executive Director of Friends Of Joshua Tree and a former Park Ranger in Joshua Tree.
- Ortovox was just awarded Leader Status by the Fair Wear Foundation (FWF), the highest level of distinction for fair working conditions offered by the apparel industry watchdog. “This recognition goes hand in hand with our focus on animal welfare and the recent implementation of the Ortovox Wool Promise," said Ortovox Brand Manager Tom Mason.
- Since the March for Public Lands, members of the outdoor industry have wondered what's going to be the next Bears Ears. SNEWS Contributor Shawnté Salabert has the answer in her latest story for Adventure Journal about the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
- Filson and Backcountry Hunters & Anglers are continuing their partnership into 2019. They've announced more dates for the popular Campfire Stories, a public lands-focused storytelling event series launched in 2018. The series will kick off at the Filson New York Flagship Store on Feb. 28.
- La Sportiva and Access Fund are teaming up again this year, with the Access Fund’s Conservation Teams wearing La Sportiva footwear and apparel while working in the field.
- REI Co-op is opening its second location in Alabama, creating 50 jobs for the new Birmingham store. REI now has 154 stores in 35 states.
- In its expansion into Asia, Arc'teryx just opened a store in Hong Kong.
- Another group of former Cabela's employees are opening Nexgen Outfitters, an outdoor gear e-commerce business. It's the second group of ex-employees to branch out, after the launch of Highby Outdoors.
- Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park in Skagway, Alaska, has a new superintendent. Jason Taylor, regional chief of Natural Resources for the National Park Service, Alaska Region, brings years of experience to the role.
- Stio, the Jackson Hole mountain lifestyle brand, has promoted Noah Waterhouse to president and chief marketing officer.


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It's worth taking the following with a pinch of salt, but it looks like Cyberpunk 2077's next-gen update could be coming in the next major title update - Patch 1.5.
We already know that CDPR has confirmed that the next-gen update's release is being scheduled for Q1 2022 - supposedly - but this is a little vague. Recent leaks regarding the new content coming in Patch 1.5 seem to corroborate this, somewhat. Here's what we know...
New Leaks - Is the next-gen update coming with Patch 1.5?
Earlier this week, a Reddit thread leaked what was allegedly coming to Cyberpunk 2077 in Patch 1.5 - a lot of it seemed a little speculative but some of it was more believable.
In the leak, it was suggested that...
- Patch 1.5 will be a soft re-launch for the title and release alongside the next-gen update;
- Patch 1.5 will also change Cyberpunk 2077's name to Cyberpunk 2077: Samurai Edition;
- Barbershops, a Garage, improved AI behaviours, a transmog system, a rebalanced loot system, and a new UI system are all due to be shipped with the next title update;
- Free DLC updates will be announced and released after;
- These will include new weapons, New Game Plus, new in-game activities, and Apartment Customisation options;
- Character interactions with prominent secondary characters, like Judy and Panam, will be more frequent;
There was also talk of a major expansion involving the Pacifica Region and a "Combat Zone", but we're not sure we believe that. CDPR's Global PR Director commented on the leaks, stating that they don't add up.
This doesn't rule out everything said, so we could still see the next-gen update release alongside Patch 1.5 and some of the content discussed above.
Cyberpunk 2077 Next Gen Update coming next year
Despite promises of a 2021 release date, the next-gen update for Cyberpunk 2077 has been held back to Q1 2022. As well as this, we now know The Witcher 3 next-gen update is coming some point after in Q2. With promises like ray tracing and improved mechanics, a lot of people have been waiting for this one.
We're expecting to see more information on this over the next few months.
Why has it been delayed?
Promises were made in regards to the next-gen update early into the life cycle of Cyberpunk 2077 and were originally made before the game's release. It seems likely that this is a case of miscommunication - teams not realising the amount of work required to get it all out there.
The last year or so has seen the team in damage control, fixing major issues and polishing up the game. That being said, it hasn't been a stable climb. The game got taken off the PlayStation store and it's still barely playable on a base PS4.
It seems likely that the team would prefer to delay the update then put out a half-finished patch and rile people up once more.
Cyberpunk 2077 next-gen update release date
It has been delayed to Q1 but that could be anywhere in a broad range. Q1 2022 encompasses January, February and March so it could show up at any point in those three months. We will update you as soon as we receive a more concrete date.